If you told me that the Oilers wouldn’t accomplish ANYTHING, not a single thing, off my off-season shopping list at the draft, I’d tell you that I would be an irate mess. Peter Chiarelli didn’t address one single item on that list in Buffalo this past weekend. Sure, he may have had discussions, but nothing came to fruition on the draft floor.
Yet, here I am, on Sunday afternoon, writing about how great of a weekend the Edmonton Oilers just had. Wait, what? Yeah, this is out of character for me, but I truly believe that the Oilers are a stronger organization today than they were Friday afternoon. Even though no deals were completed, they are in a much better spot to make something happen now.
A Gift:
The Edmonton Oilers lost the draft lottery back in April. The team fell from the second slot all the way down to pick four. At the time, it appeared that the Oilers would miss out on the big three in this draft, American Auston Matthews and a pair of skilled Finnish forwards.
As luck would have it, the Oilers still managed to ‘win’ the lottery in a sense. The Columbus Blue Jackets stunned everyone and picked Pierre-Luc Dubois with the third overall pick, allowing Jesse Puljujarvi to fall to Edmonton at pick four. I like Dubois, but to me it’s quite clear that Puljujarvi is a better prospect. An interesting turn of events, no doubt.
Edmonton also was gifted with another first round talent when Tyler Benson, due to injury, fell to day two and the Oilers snagged him with the 32nd overall pick. Pretty good value with their first two selections.
The Haul:
The Oilers came away with an NHL ready forward in Puljujarvi, who also happens to scratch a very big itch. Not only is the Finnish forward a highly skilled player, but he’s also a bigger player who has a little bit of an edge to his game. The size and skill combo has been largely lacking in Edmonton since this rebuild began in 2010. At 6’4” and 204 pounds, Puljujarvi is physically ready to play at the next level.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgYWQcvJWrs
In Tyler Benson, the Oilers picked up a solid forward with some size and skill. If not for his injury, the Edmonton native likely would have been a first round selection this past weekend. The good news on his injury front? The Oilers seem extremely comfortable with his situation.
My favorite pick of the draft, however, comes in the third round. Finnish defender Markus Niemelainen was seen by some as a fringe first rounder (!), but Edmonton snagged him with pick 63. The rearguard brings some serious size (6’6”), skates extremely well and has some good offensive instincts. Puck movement, an issue in Edmonton, is a strength of this player.
Filip Berglund is another pick I really like based off of his scouting report. He’s a right-shot and has good puck movement skills. Notice a theme with the players taken this weekend? Big and can move the puck.
I graded out the Oilers selections as a B+ overall, I thought they missed on the Dylan Wells pick, which is very solid all things considered. Kris Hansen gave a similar grade but goes a little more in-depth here.
The Rumors:
To say there were a lot of rumors this past weekend would be an understatement. We started on Friday by talking about PK Subban, but that certainly seems to be dead by this point. Nothing regarding Tyson Barrie, Travis Hamonic or Jacob Trouba really cropped up, but many other things did.
The Oilers were, according to many, in the hunt for Kevin Shattenkirk of the Blues. The team was offering, according to reports, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, but St. Louis wanted either Taylor Hall or Jordan Eberle. Hall is a total non-starter for me here, and I think RNH is more valuable than Shattenkirk, but a signed Shattenkirk is certainly worth Jordan Eberle (and then some) in my mind.
The Oilers were also engaged with the Minnesota Wild in trade discussions this weekend. I assume, because of their need for centers, that Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was (and is) a target for Minnesota. Matthew Dumba, Jonas Brodin and Jared Spurgeon are some of the names being discussed as possible options for Edmonton.
The Shopping List:
So with draft weekend now behind us, let’s take a look at the Edmonton Oilers shopping list as it stands. Remember, the free agent negotiation period is now open and some solutions may come (Lucic, Demers, etc.) on Friday when the signings begin.
1.) A top pairing RHD to play with Oscar Klefbom/Andrej Sekera – This is likely to come via trade within the next week or two. Jason Demers is going to get overpaid and he isn’t (in my mind) a top-pairing defender. I think the top target here, based on verbal, rumors and off-record conversations, is Kevin Shattenkirk.
Good evening. I don’t think Lucic lands in Edmonton. Think next move is one we all expect: winger for D https://t.co/0N4p1JKlho
— Dennis Bernstein (@DennisTFP) June 26, 2016
//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js2.) A second pairing D who can play on the PP – I’m starting to think that this item won’t be getting crossed off the list this summer. Brian Campbell is the best UFA option but I’d be floored if he signed in Edmonton. Personally, I think this will have to wait until the summer of 2017. Shattenkirk could fill the PP issue, but on the top-pairing.
3.) A third line center – Imagine that we hear something about this in free agency. David Backes, Paul Gaustad, Sam Gagner and Frans Nielsen headline a weak UFA crop.
4.) An NHL level goaltender – Free agency is most likely here. Probably see this item checked off over the upcoming weekend. I hope for Chad Johnson or Jhonas Enroth.
5.) A top-nine winger – Jesse Puljujarvi may end up taking a top-nine spot next season, but I still think the team needs an NHL option. Brett Connolly’s name has been tossed around in trade (Boston), while Lee Stempniak appeals to me.
Final Thoughts:
Peter Chiarelli left the NHL draft in a stronger position than when he came. He was gifted an NHL top-nine forward with size and skill for the 2016-17 season via the draft, and now has more options available to him via trade. I suspect we see movement in the coming two weeks to fill some of the holes above.
Even though the NHL roster remains largely intact, I’m quite happy with the work of Peter Chiarelli this weekend. He appears to have laid down some of the groundwork needed and now has even more bullets in the chamber to make something happen.
We all wanted trades, but the reality of the situation is that it is a long off-season and there is still time. The Oilers didn’t give into the massive prices and overpay for solutions.
I’m fairly certain we will see the Oilers make multiple moves in the next few days. Those moves will tell the tale of the rest of this off-season. A good start? Yes. Work to be done still, however.
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